1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: an image management apparatus, a method, and a computer-readable recording medium that display in-vivo images obtained by a capsule endoscope introduced inside a subject; and a capsule endoscope system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upon examination of a subject using a capsule endoscope that is introduced inside the subject and captures images inside the body, a group of in-vivo images obtained by the capsule endoscope are observed as a pseudo moving image or a list of still images, and an operation of selecting those having abnormal findings is performed. This operation is called observation of images.
Generally, when an in-vivo image with an abnormal finding is found, a user (for example, a medical doctor) performs management by assigning additional information such as a label to the image, so that the in-vivo image is able to be extracted upon later diagnosis. Conventionally, this assignment of labels has been done by inputting text for each in-vivo image. However, since a group of in-vivo images that are captured in one examination has, for example, about 60,000 images (corresponding to about eight hours), work load for the assignment of labels is very large.
Thus, a technique is demanded which allows easy assignment of a label to each in-vivo image without performing an operation of inputting text or the like one by one. For example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-132932, classification of images by selecting images on a screen by using, e.g., a method of dragging the images with a mouse, and dropping the images on icons of classified items, is disclosed.